Anderson rested for third Test

England have omitted James Anderson from their squad for the third Test against West Indies, which starts on Thursday. Anderson suffered a minor quad problem during England's nine-wicket victory at Trent Bridge and, with the series already won, the selectors have decided to rest the bowling attack's leader in order to keep him fresh for the rest of the summer. Anderson's new-ball partner, Stuart Broad, has been included in an otherwise unchanged 12-man squad.

Broad could also be told to put his feet up, with Steven Finn and Graham Onions available to step in as seam-bowling cover. Broad, who is England's T20I captain, missed the second Test against Sri Lanka in April, as well as a planned stint in the IPL, with a calf injury and a decision on his involvement is expected nearer the start of the Edgbaston Test. Both Anderson and Broad have bowled more than 100 overs in the series so far.

Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: "We have been made to work hard for our two victories so far and are delighted to have secured the series, however we know that we will need to continue to play some good cricket if we want a third win against the West Indies this week.

"James Anderson will miss this Test as we look to manage his workload ahead of a busy period of cricket this summer and beyond, a decision which is in the best interests of the team and James himself."

England are due to play West Indies in three ODIs and a T20 international after the Tests, followed by a five-match ODI series against Australia, starting at the end of June. That will be followed by three Tests against South Africa, which will decide the No. 1 Test ranking, then five more one-day internationals and a three-match T20I series finishing on September 12. Nine days later, England will begin their defence of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Although Anderson has not played for England's T20 team since 2009, he has previously expressed a desire to break back into the side. His value in Tests, where he is ranked No. 3 in the world, is undisputed, however, and writing in his Mail on Sunday column he said it would be "extremely disappointing" to miss out against West Indies.

"It would be different if I felt fatigued or was struggling with an injury," he said. "But I believe I am fit to play - and while I am fit to play I want to play in every England game I can. Resting players is going to happen more and more often as the schedule gets busier and the ECB has been excellent at monitoring players to keep them fit and ready."

England are 2-0 up in the three-Test series against West Indies and had been widely expected to rest at least one member of the pace attack. Finn stood in for Broad in Sri Lanka in April, taking three wickets as England squared the series, and also replaced Anderson against the same opposition at Lord's last year. A side strain ruled Anderson out of that match - the only Test he has missed since being rested for the 2010 tour of Bangladesh.

Finn became the youngest Englishman to take 50 Test wickets in the same Test but was unable to retain his place and then slipped behind Tim Bresnan in a lengthy fast-bowling queue when injuries struck down Chris Tremlett. Finn has, however, become a key component of the one-day side and was the leading wicket-taker as England whitewashed Pakistan 4-0 in the UAE.

Onions, who last played international cricket more than two years ago before suffering a career-threatening back injury, is also included and, if England decide to rest Broad as well, may get to resume a Test career that left off with two memorable rearguard batting actions during the drawn series in South Africa in 2010. Onions claimed career-best first-class figures on Saturday, with an 11-wicket haul in Durham's defeat by Lancashire, and only Andre Adams has more than his 34 Championship scalps so far this season.

The continuity in England's selection policy means Jonny Bairstow is likely to get another chance to further his claims on the No. 6 spot, unless Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss decide to change the balance of the side and play five bowlers. Bairstow scored 16 and 0 not out on his debut at Lord's, before being worked over by a series of short deliveries from Kemar Roach in making 4 during the second Test, but England will almost certainly want to have a further look at him before the arrival of South Africa next month.

@RandyOZ on (June 05 2012, 09:44 AM GMT) Ahh - getting you now. GM made a prediction just before the 2005 series in England and then mischieviously said he didn't put a timescale on it (the WW prediction) after they achieved it in 2006/7 in Aus. By and large though most of the big talkers either disappear or come back with stats from yesteryear. We had some ourselves pre Pak and they disappeared during the series and then came back when we started winning the ODIs/T20s

Anupam
on June 5, 2012, 15:47 GMT

believe it or not i'm not supporting any country i don't support my country, i only support the game cricket. no doubt best pace attack in the world is SA. best spinner ajmal, swann.

John
on June 5, 2012, 13:51 GMT

@RandyOZ on (June 05 2012, 09:44 AM GMT), which is a perfect example of why such predictions should be taken with a truckload of salt when coming from a partial source. I expect the upcoming series to be fairly even. In the unlikely event of a whitewash, I reckon it will be because one team is consistently marginally better. There was talk before the Australia/WI series about one bad session being costly and that was consistently the case for WI, who still seem unable to last five days without at least one such lapse. England and SA are both more able to sustain intensity for an entire match so it could be that a single bad session from either team could be the difference in the whole series, never mind just one game. Both teams are capable of that too. England were dominant against India but were bailed out by Stuart Broad in one first innings and SA were bundled out at home for 96 by Australia. With two good bowling attacks, all batsmen will have to be at their best.

John
on June 5, 2012, 11:56 GMT

@Randyoz - I have absolutely no diea what you're on about in your response.

Randolph
on June 5, 2012, 9:44 GMT

@JG2704 - re not sticking around after whitewashes, that is unless of course your name is Glenn McGrath :)

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:28 GMT

@subbass on (June 04 2012, 23:35 PM GMT) Fully agree. I have given a multitude of reasons before for the 5 man attack and that was one of them. You can try and win a game by scoring more runs or by reducing the other team's total by a greater amount. A 5 man attack should reduce their workloads meaning a constant greater intensity and freshness and hopefully less physical strain so less chance of injury. I believe some sides are less suited to it , but Eng seem to be craving for that number 6 batsman when Prior is decent enough and has done better than whoever was at 6 anyway.They don't even seem to be thinking about it though - like it's some kind of sordid thing

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:19 GMT

@Giovaughn Wilson on (June 05 2012, 03:57 AM GMT) I'm not against Eng using anyone they are seriously considering for the SA series - so Onions and Finn would be a good idea IMO. Don't see the point in playing those who are not in their immediate plans

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:16 GMT

I don't understand why people are predicting whitewashes here - either for England or for SA. SA don't get whitewashed by anyone and they are a very tough nut to crack and are as decent away as they are at home , and Eng are unlikely to get whitewashed by anyone at home and SA are struggling to win series , let alone by whitewash. I wonder if those predicting whitewashes will still be posting if their team loses the series. In my short time on here I have noticed that by and large those who make these bold predictions don't hang around long if/when it goes wrong

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:10 GMT

@AKS286 on (June 04 2012, 14:00 PM GMT) Not at all. I am quoting these bowling stats only to state that we are not inferior to SA like some of the SA's are on here saying (in this instance a particular person who intimated that the Pak batsmen found English bowling much easier than SA bowling) but even though England's bowling stats vs Pak were better , I'm stressing that I'm not saying one attack is significantly better than the other. Also I have never said that Sachin is a selfish player , only scores vs weaker countries etc etc..

Mathew
on June 5, 2012, 6:18 GMT

One series at a time. We still have to beat a WI team that has impressed me, people seem to forget the ages of these players. SA up next, Eng to win 3-0 mark my words unless rain plays too much of a role. Eng the better team, and at home = victory. If this happens it would be the end of most threads on this site, no wait they can say SA v SA or 'home lions'. Eng still no.1 lol.

John
on June 5, 2012, 20:23 GMT

@RandyOZ on (June 05 2012, 09:44 AM GMT) Ahh - getting you now. GM made a prediction just before the 2005 series in England and then mischieviously said he didn't put a timescale on it (the WW prediction) after they achieved it in 2006/7 in Aus. By and large though most of the big talkers either disappear or come back with stats from yesteryear. We had some ourselves pre Pak and they disappeared during the series and then came back when we started winning the ODIs/T20s

Anupam
on June 5, 2012, 15:47 GMT

believe it or not i'm not supporting any country i don't support my country, i only support the game cricket. no doubt best pace attack in the world is SA. best spinner ajmal, swann.

John
on June 5, 2012, 13:51 GMT

@RandyOZ on (June 05 2012, 09:44 AM GMT), which is a perfect example of why such predictions should be taken with a truckload of salt when coming from a partial source. I expect the upcoming series to be fairly even. In the unlikely event of a whitewash, I reckon it will be because one team is consistently marginally better. There was talk before the Australia/WI series about one bad session being costly and that was consistently the case for WI, who still seem unable to last five days without at least one such lapse. England and SA are both more able to sustain intensity for an entire match so it could be that a single bad session from either team could be the difference in the whole series, never mind just one game. Both teams are capable of that too. England were dominant against India but were bailed out by Stuart Broad in one first innings and SA were bundled out at home for 96 by Australia. With two good bowling attacks, all batsmen will have to be at their best.

John
on June 5, 2012, 11:56 GMT

@Randyoz - I have absolutely no diea what you're on about in your response.

Randolph
on June 5, 2012, 9:44 GMT

@JG2704 - re not sticking around after whitewashes, that is unless of course your name is Glenn McGrath :)

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:28 GMT

@subbass on (June 04 2012, 23:35 PM GMT) Fully agree. I have given a multitude of reasons before for the 5 man attack and that was one of them. You can try and win a game by scoring more runs or by reducing the other team's total by a greater amount. A 5 man attack should reduce their workloads meaning a constant greater intensity and freshness and hopefully less physical strain so less chance of injury. I believe some sides are less suited to it , but Eng seem to be craving for that number 6 batsman when Prior is decent enough and has done better than whoever was at 6 anyway.They don't even seem to be thinking about it though - like it's some kind of sordid thing

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:19 GMT

@Giovaughn Wilson on (June 05 2012, 03:57 AM GMT) I'm not against Eng using anyone they are seriously considering for the SA series - so Onions and Finn would be a good idea IMO. Don't see the point in playing those who are not in their immediate plans

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:16 GMT

I don't understand why people are predicting whitewashes here - either for England or for SA. SA don't get whitewashed by anyone and they are a very tough nut to crack and are as decent away as they are at home , and Eng are unlikely to get whitewashed by anyone at home and SA are struggling to win series , let alone by whitewash. I wonder if those predicting whitewashes will still be posting if their team loses the series. In my short time on here I have noticed that by and large those who make these bold predictions don't hang around long if/when it goes wrong

John
on June 5, 2012, 8:10 GMT

@AKS286 on (June 04 2012, 14:00 PM GMT) Not at all. I am quoting these bowling stats only to state that we are not inferior to SA like some of the SA's are on here saying (in this instance a particular person who intimated that the Pak batsmen found English bowling much easier than SA bowling) but even though England's bowling stats vs Pak were better , I'm stressing that I'm not saying one attack is significantly better than the other. Also I have never said that Sachin is a selfish player , only scores vs weaker countries etc etc..

Mathew
on June 5, 2012, 6:18 GMT

One series at a time. We still have to beat a WI team that has impressed me, people seem to forget the ages of these players. SA up next, Eng to win 3-0 mark my words unless rain plays too much of a role. Eng the better team, and at home = victory. If this happens it would be the end of most threads on this site, no wait they can say SA v SA or 'home lions'. Eng still no.1 lol.

Dummy4
on June 5, 2012, 3:57 GMT

I see no reason why England cant use the 3rd test as a test run for players in the Lions squad or county cricket knocking on the door of the Official test team. Whether it be Compton, Taylor, Finn, Onions whoever They should be good enough .
WICB were foolhardy enough to take a top order that is only just about fit to play in the A team on a tour vs arguably the best or 2nd best bowling attack in test cricket Maybe England returning the favor & beating them in the 3rd test with county / lions cricketers will provide the kick up the rump that will wake Gibson , the selectors & co from their slumber

John
on June 4, 2012, 23:58 GMT

Aww, RandyOz, for a moment clear thinking illuminated your mind like a beautiful sunbeam piercing the clouds. Alas, it didn't last; the darkness closed in again and you are back to spouting your usual drivel. Still, if it happened once, who knows? It might happen again. We live in hope.

Mike
on June 4, 2012, 23:35 GMT

It's about time England played to their strengths which is clearly to go with a 5 man attack and bat Prior at 6. any shortfall of runs would have every chance of been negated by bowling the opposition out for a cheaper score. And the one thing our attack lacks is genuine oace, so Finn must play. Lets not worry about even having a tail of Finn, Anderson and Onions. Tell the top six to get the runs. Still we just know they won't do that but it makes sense as where we are weak is in batting outside the regular top 5.

With the series wrapped up it is the perfect opportunity to at least have a look at a 5 man attack. If you bowl the WI out for 150 - and you'd fancy our chances with the quality we have - then you're not gonna be too worried about having a longish tail are you !

Matt
on June 4, 2012, 23:18 GMT

@richardror, what are you on? Man for man SA are stronger than us in most positions. England's advantages are a) captain - Strauss is no Brearley or even a Hussain but he's infinitely better than the lumpen, wooden Smith; b) keeper - Prior is a far better batsman than Boucher and doesn't clunk any, unlike the world record holder (now there's an example of records being cheapened - Knotty would be turning in his grave if he was dead); and c) tail batting - SA aren't quite 7 out all out but not far off. But the top 6 are all decent, and AB, Amla and Kallis are top drawer; Steyn's the best paceman since Pidge retired and Philander's just been incredible. The only problem they have is *coughchokerscough*

Varun
on June 4, 2012, 22:13 GMT

@Raj Pallasetty: Kirk Edwards? The guy seems to have forgotten how to bat; tail-enders look more comfortable than he does. No technique, confidence or skill. And wow, you've given him the captaincy too :P I'd leave it with Sammy for at least a year longer, and then I might consider Samuels. As for Kirk Edwards' place in the side, it'd give it to Deonarine... He can also bowl a bit and reduce some of the Samuels' workload

Richard
on June 4, 2012, 19:15 GMT

It's not a case of IF England will beat SA but by how many? Of course everyone presumes it will be 3-0 but with possible rain delays it might be reduced to 2-0 with a draw. All victories by England will be at least an innings + 200 runs

Kieron
on June 4, 2012, 16:54 GMT

@ Voma:

Well to be honest, it won't be much of a shootout, I don't really think Dale Steyn will have any problems what so all winning that contest!!!! Sa's bowling attack is stronger then England's bowling! England has to bowl really well, otherwise they will be slaughtered!

@MattyP1979 - 3-0 is a very bold shout. Don't see either side winning by whitewash. Don't forget SA are one of the few sides who are equally as tough away from home. @Stephen Axtell - Eng do have good bowling depth. Not sure about the batting depth to be honest. Our bowling depth isn't exaggerated but why would any of our writers be talking about the depth of any other country's players when all countries have their own indexes etc for that

John
on June 4, 2012, 14:19 GMT

@Leighroy Conway on (June 04 2012, 08:07 AM GMT) PS SA bowling attack took 13 wickets in both the tests vs Pak. England took 50 in 3 tests - ave 16.66 per test. Pak's totals over 4 inns vs SA = 1178. If you divide that by number of wickets (26) you get an average of 45.3 per wicket. Do the same with Eng and Pak amassed 1288 runs in 3 tests and divide that by Eng wickets (50) and you get an average of 25.76 per wicket. Now it could be that SA played in better batting conditions and I have no complaint about those slating our batsman - I was a fierce critic myself - but let's be real that SA don't have a vastly superior bowling unit than Eng - if at all superior

John
on June 4, 2012, 14:14 GMT

@phendel on (June 04 2012, 13:37 PM GMT), just as they did against Australia recently, I don't think that there's much doubt that WI will put up a better fight in the limited-overs series, especially with Gayle back in the team. He could well have been the difference that won them the series in the Caribbean. WI biggest problem in the Tests is maintaining intensity for five whole days, which is not a problem for 50- or 20-over cricket. I wouldn't count England out though. They did beat India last English summer and they also did beat WI in the last WC. Also the WI players returning from the IPL will have to adjust to very different conditions. Losing KP will be a blow though and could be the biggest factor against England. They will really need some of their young guys, like Buttler and Bairstow, to step up with the bat and they will need to continue to bowl to their best. It should be an interesting series.

Anupam
on June 4, 2012, 14:00 GMT

@randyOz & JG you peeople talk lots about the stats OK but if any indian fan says about sachin then you all says "he is a selfish batsman and his records are against ban, zim" buddy LOOK at the stats of sachin. now about a joke & realistic goof LYON is an international spinner. beer is more better than lyon. don't show me the stats.

Devon
on June 4, 2012, 13:37 GMT

with the test series almost over (& most WI fans just eagerly waiting) I wonder whats the feeling in England & in the cricketing world about the Limited Overs series......jus like how England came bk strong in the ODI's vs Pakistan.....i expect WI to come back strong in the limited overs series.....they will def win the T20 (with 7 players fresh from the IPL) and win the ODI's as well (2-1).....with Gayle, Pollard, Bravo, Smith, Rampaul, Narine & Samuels should be too much for England i think.....especially if KP not playing

John
on June 4, 2012, 13:36 GMT

@Randyoz - You're right about Lyon. Guess some on here need to take lessons from your good self on balanced posting

John
on June 4, 2012, 13:34 GMT

@CricketingStargazer on (June 03 2012, 20:12 PM GMT) Thanks for the interesting comms line - the cheque's in the post. They (Sky) were talking about this yesterday and saying that Onions is more of a like for like bowler for Anderson and Finn more of a replacement for Broad. I'll be honest , I'd love to see both playing -whether it be by resting Broad or Bres or (and it won't ever happen) in a 5 man attack. It would be good to see how they compare against each other in the same side. Finn also took some wickets late last week so I think both are on decent form. I'd feel sorry for Finn if he missed out again but then again it would be great to see Onions play after all the effort he made to come back from injury

Mathew
on June 4, 2012, 12:16 GMT

Are Eng over-rated? The comments on here suggest they may well be. If SA are the best team in the world what will the nay sayers comment on if we thrash SA. If you want to look for over rated teams ask an aussie, 2 decent players at the tail end of a career and a couple of young quicks who have done resonable against no-bodies on friendly pitches. WI have given us a scrap and I fully expect SA to be a tough nut, but make no mistake our players are coming into their prime and not out of it like some. Get used to us being top of the tree we are there to stay!

Andrew
on June 4, 2012, 10:48 GMT

Rozzer -Sigh! Nick Compton is the Grandson of Dennis Compton. Do some work engaging with reality for once in your life and look him up. Then I think you'd be better engaged going over to a thread that's actually about Australia. Maybe you can play your part in persuading your "rightful number one" world beaters to put their money where your mouth is and actually go out and play rather than strike.

Matthew
on June 4, 2012, 10:42 GMT

@randy oz. It's just nice to read some slightly more balanced views from you. Most of us poms still respect Australia, but we don't fear them like their great side of 5-10 years ago. Lyon is one of the young bowlers I am referring to in my earlier comment, and while I think the likes of Cummins, an improved Siddle and hilfenhaus, and, hey maybe even our old friend Mitchell Johnson, will be a handful over here, I'm not sure our batsmen with have nightmares over Lyon. Maybe facing him in the third or fourth innings at Adelaide they would. It was interesting to note how well he bowled in Sri Lanka, where Swann didn't really threaten as much as he really should have in those conditions. With regards to Compton, and while I don't agree with England picking most of the South African contingent (Pietersen especially but not just because he's a saffer) because of Compton's ancestry it would be a travesty if he didn't play for England.

Aabhas
on June 4, 2012, 10:41 GMT

Any test bowler (or batsman) who is in top form and sitting #3 in the rankings wouldn't be very happy at being "rested" against this WI team - especially with the prospect of being over taken by two of your team mates in the rankings! I assume Anderson will not play the ODIs against WI anyway and maybe even miss the first couple of ODIs against the Aussies so what's the point in resting him now? He could have had his rest in the two upcoming ODI series! If he really needed rest (having played his last game on 7th April before this series), he should have been rested for the entire series.

On another note, why a 10-day gap between the 2nd and 3rd tests? Surely isnt common to have a practice game between the last and 2nd last test? Were the first couple of tests scheduled with 3 days of each other to deliberately eat into KPs playing time at the IPL?

vinod
on June 4, 2012, 10:38 GMT

A trashing in the UAE at the hands of Pakistan could not completely underrate the English side. They have done exceptionally well to maintain the #1 status. They have a decent batting side and one of the best bowling sides (if not the best). Someone had compared them to the Aussie era of Mcgrath and Warne. That is a big exaggeration I agree. The main difference between that Aussies and this English is that Aussies had no real opposition. England has stiff competition to stay at the top from SA, India, a resurgent Aussies and so on. Healthy competition world-wide. Even the Windies have a young blooded side. Sri Lanka sans Murali and Vass look ordinary. But Pak have variety.

Randolph
on June 4, 2012, 10:06 GMT

A few surprised comments about my admiration for Anderson. Lets be honest though, he's actually good. Unlike Broad, Swann and Bell, he isn't completely overrated. There are people on here claiming Lyon is rubbish, well that's funny because if you check Lyon has a better average. These are the same people wanting Compton in the team, yet another South African. The actual Eanglish talent is wafer thin.

Dummy4
on June 4, 2012, 9:41 GMT

@ MattyP1979 on (June 03 2012, 15:31 PM GMT), good grief the Proteas only have 2 players nearing the end of careers in their squad. I always have a good laugh at how Englands depth is always exaggerated. Its as if no other country can find young players - look at Australias bowling, a lot going for them.

Mathew
on June 4, 2012, 9:29 GMT

SA have a very good bowling unit, and for that matter team, that is why they are second in the world. But Eng bashers think they are going to steam roll us are going to be in for a shock. Home advantage and a much stronger batting tail will be key, not to mention spin. Eng have been found wanting against quality spin bowlers of late but Tahir is not going to cause sleepless nights. Eng to win the series with a whitewash (unless rain plays), but close matches I hope.

Devidas
on June 4, 2012, 9:03 GMT

Guys Please Put UR comment on follwoing team which will be handly to play all forms of cricket (T20, ODI AND TEST) and all over the world.
Men in Blue

To all the posters bashing England's attack because of the 0-3 in UAE: get your facts right, it wasn't the bowling that let England down, it was the batting (Broad 13 wickets @ 20.46, Panesar 14 @ 21.57, Swann 13 @ 25.07, Anderson 9 @ 27.66). I think South Africa's attack would be far and away the best in the world if Smith knew how to handle attacking spin, as opposed to the left-arm darts of Harris. Nonetheless the SA seamers are exceptionally good and will provide a much more rigorous examination than Sammy and co. I'd be happy with a 1-1 draw, tbh ...

John
on June 4, 2012, 8:39 GMT

@Leighroy Conway on (June 04 2012, 08:07 AM GMT) It's a good job SA have been winning so many series (as opposed to drawing them) otherwise your comms may look somehwt hollow

John
on June 4, 2012, 8:37 GMT

@Lord__Dravid on (June 03 2012, 17:48 PM GMT) Even if WI get annihilated in this next test they have still shown more fight and quality that one of the touring sides who had a holiday over here last year

John
on June 4, 2012, 8:37 GMT

@AKS286 on (June 03 2012, 18:10 PM GMT) On another post (which comms finished before I responded) you were saying that Root and Carberry are on better form than Compton right now - both are on nowhere near as good form. KP and Strauss are in decent nick but re the rest of our batsmen , none are in brilliant touch. I'd say they all need plenty of match practice. Bowlers (esp pacers) are more vulnerable to strain injuries

John
on June 4, 2012, 8:36 GMT

@Meety on (June 03 2012, 23:35 PM GMT) Regardless of anything else , I don't think we lose much (if anything in quality). If we rested a batsman then the quality difference could be substantial

Best attack in the world? Just got Hammered on sub continent! :-) RSA are coming! Prove it !

Dilshaad
on June 4, 2012, 6:56 GMT

Jimmy doesn't have the stamina to even play a complete Test series & the coach started comparing him with the Legend, the Pigeon Glen Mcgrath (lol). Injury prone Poms will keep rotating their bowlers.

Mathew
on June 4, 2012, 6:19 GMT

People being rather unfair on a promising young WI side. They are playing the best bowling attack and in Eng!!! Every batsman in the world struggles here. Another couple of years and perhaps WICB sort themselves out and WI will be a force to reckon with. Its hard to believe I know but Eng are just a damn good side not WI being an especially poor one.

Chithsabesh
on June 4, 2012, 2:41 GMT

@lord_Dravid i think 0-8 has its effects.

Mike
on June 4, 2012, 1:12 GMT

Well going by the weather forecast the 3rd Test is likely to only end up been a 3.5 day game, so it's debatable whether there will be time for a result and the workload on the bowlers is likely to be minimal.

I guess what I am saying is that this discussion is not really very credible !

Carl
on June 4, 2012, 0:11 GMT

Lord_Dravid

Enough of these comments regarding test status. What do you want? Just the top three ot four teams playing each other all the time? In a couple of years, you might do well to remember your comments...

Andrew
on June 3, 2012, 23:35 GMT

@JG2704 - normally I would say if a bowler is fit, he should play, as I think there is as much likelihood of injury coming back from a break as playing through. With Anderson, I lean more towards giving him a break as to me he often seems to be labouring. I felt all thru the 10/11 Ashes he looked out on his feet, & some footage I saw in the UAE & SL - the same, (despite doing VERY well in all 3 tours). It's probably more mental than physical as during the Ashes in 10/11 he was granted a mini break on tour & came back well. All that being said, I'd rest him from all ODIs instead, for 2 reasons, he is nowhere near as good of an ODI bowler, (so not essential to the ODI/T20 team), & I think short form cricket leads to more injuries.

Michael
on June 3, 2012, 23:31 GMT

@ chris carrington- well said. Just because a Test nation is going through the mill and are low in the table there is no reason to sugest that they will not be somewhere else in 5-10 years, if they get a better board in. In the mid 90's England were ranked below NZ but the penny dropped and various changes to the way things are run were put in place. They were successful.WI are not helped by the fact thar they cannot call all their own shots in timing of games because of IPL and other factors. The worst thing is that sometimes though not this year v Aus, the domestic games are finished when the Tests are on.Strange!! There is no shortage of talent there. Even the top 4 are actually very talented-but a bit young, and should really be in the A side for a bit longer.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 21:20 GMT

its amazing how easily ppl say things like the west indies do not deserve test status we not too long in the distant past this west indies outfit was sought after world wide to draw the many crowds not associated with test cricket.Unlike most of the developing cricket nations the ppl of the west indies were forced to develop all the talents necessary for the international arena here in the caribbean. I would like @Lord_Dravid and those who agree to just take a look at the quality of the top flight cricket that is played in the region and recognise that a handful of game <10 can never be enough to for an individual to be considered world class...there is a wealth of talent and a lack of resources in the caribbean and the demise of this West Indies team isnt entirely our fault...check the rules put in place by the ECB and Cricket Australia to develop home grown cricketers and disallow emerging talent to gain experience...it a hard nut to swallow..but like u we remain die hard fans

Jem
on June 3, 2012, 21:20 GMT

@richardror on (June 03 2012, 15:12 PM GMT) - agree entirely! Jimmy says he's fit so I'm more inclined to believe him than the England selectors. Was Glen McGrath ever "rested"? There is plenty of time for Jimmy to rest between now and the tour of India - he certainly doesn't need to be playing the pointless ODIs against Australia and we have many suitable ODI bowlers for the WI series. Also, I'm not sure he really merits a place in the T20 games. He's an excellent fielder and a useful No.11 Test batsman but can't score quickly enough if needed in the shorter formats. He is however the leader of our Test attack and he deserves the opportunity to bowl against the "lesser" batting sides (sorry WI but this is you at present) to improve his career figures, as well as slogging his guts out against the big guns of Aus, SA and India and on the flat tracks of UAE and Sri Lanka. I also feel that he'll benefit from more Test overs in his legs before resting him prior to the SA matches.

Mark
on June 3, 2012, 20:12 GMT

JG, interesting comments, as usual. I remember what happened when SA was here in 2003. Jimmy Anderson had just broken into the Test side. Played ODIs, World Cup, 2 Tests v Zim and was visibly dying on his feet half way through the 5 Tests v SA. The commentators wanted him rested. He was bowled into the ground, lost his action, lost his accuracy and England effectively lost him as a bowler for more than 3 years. I suspect that the memory of that has had a real influence here. As a straight swap for Jimmy Anderson, the logic would favour Steve Finn but, Graeme Onions has been in such spectacular form that I would, with a heavy heart, pick him before Steve Finn. I think that Steve FInn will play all the ODIs and will get ready for the SA series that way, but he has not taken a bucket of wickets: Onions has. And I would resist the temptation to rest Stuart Broad too because he still looks like he needs some more overs in his legs to get up to 100%.

Anupam
on June 3, 2012, 18:10 GMT

give rest to cook or trott then move bresnan to up after than bring onion. i want to see in playing like this broad, swann, onion & finn. if no then add one batsman like suppiah, carberry, taylor, jimmy adams, compton in the place of trott or cook.

Smith
on June 3, 2012, 17:48 GMT

Even if England rest up to half its players, they will still defeat the West Indies quite comfortably in fact the West Indies do not deserve to have Test Status winning only 2 in their last 33 Test matches alone is not at all impressive.

joel
on June 3, 2012, 16:19 GMT

@Henrick Loven , hmm i found your comment interesting . For stuart broad to beat Sir Beefys record , he would have to play around 130 tests ! . Unless Broady starts taking loads of 10 fors , it would be impossible my friend . But i agree with you about playing Bresnan , Finn and onions , it would be very interesting to see what would happen if they started bowling sides out .

Mathew
on June 3, 2012, 15:48 GMT

Good problems to have if Bairstow is the only concern. Other teams have their best players approaching six feet under (Aus/Ind/SA). We have time to give him a fair chance. Who would of thought replacing Colly would be so difficult lol. All in all though a good enough side to beat anybody right now.

John
on June 3, 2012, 15:44 GMT

Disappointed that Compton has been ignored. As a Somerset fan it would also have been good timing because Somerset have no CC game later in the week. I was quite content with giving Johnny the chance and if we weren't playing such a massive series vs SA , I'd certainly give him a longer run. However we saw his weakness vs short pitch bowling and it is not going to have been rectified in such a short space of time. My worry is that Bairstow may get a score vs the weaker WI attack in this test and that alone will keep him in the side for the whole SA series. Nick is so far above anyone else in the county game this year. The one thing I wonder might be going against him is his SR and Eng might want a number 6 who is perceived to have a higher SR. I'd still prefer a 5 man attack but I feel NC should be our number 6 in a 6/1/4 formation for sure

Michael
on June 3, 2012, 15:34 GMT

Anderson must feel like a C16 alleged heretic picked up by the Inquisiition for 'Examination'. If the man says he's fit to bowl then He's fit to bowl. he follows KP into the glorious Inquisition's care.

John
on June 3, 2012, 15:32 GMT

I think the selectors are in a no win situation here. If they play Jimmy and he suffers burnout or injury then people will criticise the selectors for not resting him. If he is rested and then can't penetrate through the SA batsmen on return then people will say he was undercooked/lost momentum. After what happened to Jimmy following the last Ashes series I can't blame England for edging on the side of caution. The other thing I will say is that if/when we lose/rest a pace bowler we don't lose the quality as we have decent depth in that dept. Resting one of our top 4 batsmen and we might lose more in quality.Would like to see them fit both Onions and Finn in this side.

Mathew
on June 3, 2012, 15:31 GMT

Lets face it Eng attack is the best in the world and the 2 replacements could get into any side other than SA. Looking forward to another crushing victory. As for Cummins and Patterson you have to be kidding me, if they cannot push Hillfy and Siddle out of the starting 11 what does that say about them.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 15:26 GMT

Where is James Taylor!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard
on June 3, 2012, 15:12 GMT

Why rest him in the tests which people like and care about, but he will play in the MEANINGLESS ODI's!? No one cares about those!

joel
on June 3, 2012, 15:07 GMT

I hope jimmy plays in the ODI series against Australia , it would be interesting how this new crop of aussie batsmen play him . Hes done enough damage to the West Indies batsmen , there is not much point in him playing any further part against them . Well this summer will be the ulimate shoot out between Anderson and Stynn , expect plenty of fireworks .

John
on June 3, 2012, 14:52 GMT

@Manee94 on (June 03 2012, 13:38 PM GMT), do you mean instead of Bairstow or as well as? Some people are talking about resting one or two bowlers as being disrespectful to WI so that would be something. I think that the England selectors realise that, while WI are ranked fairly low, the difference between the top teams and the bottom is not that great and tinkering with your lineup too much is a good way to wind up losing a match. I'm sure that the selectors still want to win. I reckon that they could live with a draw but there'd be hell to pay if England rested multiple players and they lost.

david
on June 3, 2012, 14:49 GMT

front foot lunge maybe randy has been listening to what happened to starc and his visa, so he sucking up. would love to sit with him during a test and listen to his take on cricket. but at least if hes here in the uk, we will know if randy is also jonesy or are we to have the pleasure of them both.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 14:39 GMT

my team for 3rd test strauss,cook,trott,kevin,bell,bairstow(wk),bresnan,broad,swann,finn,onions

steven
on June 3, 2012, 14:25 GMT

nice that england hve the luxury or resting players.... that is what happens when u get to play 3 match series..... poor luck for teams like nz

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 14:19 GMT

As much as I rate Finn, I think Onions has to be the one to come in for Anderson; he's been exceptional so far this season, grabbing eleven wickets against Lancashire. With regards to Bairstow, I've said this elsewhere already but it's entirely too soon to be passing judgement on whether or not he's good enough for England at this point in his career. In addition to that, who would come in for him? The people calling for Taylor's inclusion seem to have forgotten that he had an indifferent winter and hasn't exactly set the world on fire for Notts this season. If he doesn't retain his place for the tests against South Africa I'd rather see Compton slot in at number six than Taylor.

Mark
on June 3, 2012, 14:12 GMT

RandyOz and jonesytoo are being positive about English players!?

*ouch* my brain is about to explode...

John
on June 3, 2012, 13:58 GMT

@landl47 on (June 03 2012, 11:12 AM GMT), people are talking about resting Anderson and Broad during the limited-overs games but I would say that Broad's batting is of greater value there than in Test matches. I may not have said that during that Test against India that he saved but, on average batting from #8 is more likely to be needed in the shorter formats. I will say again that I think the ODI series against Australia is pointless for both sides but if the ECB has committed to it then they have to take it seriously, so resting players there is probably not an option unless the series has already been won, as is the case for this Test series.

Aiman
on June 3, 2012, 13:38 GMT

Felt like they should've played another young player, such as James Taylor, he is a top batsman, arguably better than bairstow. Not often they get a match like this to try different combinations of players.

John
on June 3, 2012, 13:27 GMT

@Sri Silverstone on (June 03 2012, 10:46 AM GMT) CT is still injured and my guess is that he'll have dropped down the pecking order until one of the 5 pacers gets injured

John
on June 3, 2012, 13:24 GMT

@Henrik Lovén on (June 03 2012, 08:58 AM GMT) - Sorry bud , I don't buy this theory re Broad and if true I feel that it is a strange way of going about it as Broad is more likely to get injured if he plays too many matches.Also there's always the chance they could still play that attack inc Finn and Onions.

John
on June 3, 2012, 13:07 GMT

@MrPontingToYou on (June 03 2012, 10:32 AM GMT), I can only assume that they think that Compton is too old, which seems odd given Trott's history, or that they consider him a top-order player rather than middle-order. As for Taylor, his output has not been great since he moved up to the first division of the County Championship and his recent form for the Lions has been poor too. He was initially left out of the Performance squad, indicating that he has slipped down the pecking order, but was added after his Lions hundred against WI, indicating that he's still very much in the minds of the selectors. As for Bairstow, I'm not sure that he's mediocre but I'm also not sure that he's quite ready for Test cricket. I think England's problem is that they have several young batsmen who are all not quite ready. That might make Compton a good stop-gap at the very least. Of course, while his English heritage is quite enough for me, we'll never hear the end of his being born in SA if he's picked.

j
on June 3, 2012, 12:59 GMT

The home office has launched and official investigation into how exactly RandyOz has gone from slating Anderson to the next calling him a 'great' Bowler. Word is there hasn't been a U-Turn of that magnitude since 1485.

Michael
on June 3, 2012, 12:58 GMT

If England are so concerned about "overworking" their bowlers, why do they insist on playing only 4 of them? Surely a 6,7,8,9 of Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann is a capable lower order. If they were to pick a fourth seamer then on average it would be possible for each seamer to bowl about 25% less overs; that's the equivalent of resting them for 1 in every 4 games, so that Anderson (who has played the last 12 consecutive tests for England) would actually get more of a rest that way.

Bernard
on June 3, 2012, 12:49 GMT

That sound you can hear in the background is Fred Truman spinning in his grave.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 12:20 GMT

if i was playing today i would say over my dead body to be dropped. but england need. jimmy was injured so that was all right. broad and bresnan have injury's in the past and need to be rested for the odi's. england got two series that if they win both will prove to be the best in the world. beat south africa at home and india away they have done what is needed to be the best.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 12:10 GMT

They should drop Bresnan and go with Onions, Finn and Broad. This way they will be able to try both the bowlers waiting in the wings. Onions and Finn Should share the new ball and Broad should play the supporting role.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 11:44 GMT

I dont understand why the English selectors every time ignore James Taylor when it comes to the selection of Test squads... He is a phenomenal talent...
James Taylor > Jonny Bairstow...

Mark
on June 3, 2012, 11:44 GMT

RandyOz and jonesytoo are being positive about English players!?

*ouch* my brain is about to explode...

John
on June 3, 2012, 11:35 GMT

@MrPontingToYou: I agree with you about Bopara and Morgan, but you might have missed the fact that neither is in the squad. Bairstow is, to my mind, not yet ready for test match cricket, but with an average of 45.72 at age 22, he's hardly mediocre. Compton is almost 29 and has a career average of 42.40, greatly boosted by his burst of form this year, so how does that make him a far better player than Bairstow? Taylor has a higher average, at 48.97, but he's even younger than Bairstow. I'd have no problem with Compton being given a chance (or, for that matter, Carberry or Hildreth), but Bairstow is not a mediocre player, just not a mature player yet. There's a difference. @RandyOz: congratulations on a thoughtful post. I agree with you- although the gap between Anderson and Steyn isn't that wide over the last 2 years. I even agree about Pattinson and Cummins, who are exciting. Whether they will turn out to be consistent matchwinners, we'll have to see.

David
on June 3, 2012, 11:19 GMT

Has anyone thought of the punters yet - whatever the rights and wrongs of rotation if you have paid a small fortunate for tickets you should be seeing full strength sides! I appreciate that Anderson might be injured (?) but if the leave Broad out too that's just not right! I've paid a fortunate for my tickets so if the ECB want to refund me some money in lieu of the rotation policy that's fine by me - otherwise I expect to see Broad take the field on thursday. Edgbaston doesn't have an England test now until 2015, I want my monies worth!

Matthew
on June 3, 2012, 11:19 GMT

@Randy oz is it really you? I will respond by saying that Oz have some promising young bowlers who will be a handful in England next year. We have one of them at Yorkshire in Mitchell Starc and I've been impressed with him so far. Your batting looks suspect though. With regards to Anderson I did question the need to leave him out as all test matches are as important in my view but it's a sensible decision if he has a "niggle".

John
on June 3, 2012, 11:12 GMT

Nobody yet has mentioned one crucial difference between leaving out Anderson and leaving out Broad- Broad's batting. If England leave out Broad, the tail gets longer. Broad and Bresnan put on important runs in the second test, as Bell and Swann did in the first. Broad's inclusion does at least give England the option of playing 5 bowlers; there's no way they can do that if three of the bowlers are Anderson, Finn and Onions. Of course, there's always the possibility that playing the guy who took 11 wickets and was man of the match in the first test is favouritism, as Henrik Loven alleges!

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 10:46 GMT

what happend to tremlet?y they are not considering him?

John
on June 3, 2012, 10:41 GMT

@RandyOZ, are you OK mate? If Anderson has a niggle, I agree with resting him especially as I really want to see how Finn goes in a Test in England. Will the England selectors go with a like for like replacement though and bring in Onions meaning Finn misses out again?

John
on June 3, 2012, 10:41 GMT

A lot has already been written about the possible resting of Anderson and Broad, with some in favour and some not. I think it's as much a question of getting Finn and Onions into the team for some exposure to Test cricket as anything else. If Anderson is out then, barring injury, you'd have to think that Finn is in for sure. I believe that it was George Dobell on the Switch Hit podcast who said that Finn was more of a like for like replacement for Anderson than Bresnan and it looks like that's the way it's going to go here. Especially if Anderson has a niggle, I definitely agree with resting him. Leaving Broad out too is another matter. I think that it's in England's best interest to give Onions some exposure, but do they want to leave out their two best bowlers? Assuming Broad needs to be rested at some point, during the ODI series might be a better option, with Anderson back in the team at the time.

anthony
on June 3, 2012, 10:32 GMT

what is england's obsession with mediocre players like bairstow, bopara and morgan at the #6 position? meanwhile far better players like compton and taylor sit by and watch.

Randolph
on June 3, 2012, 10:10 GMT

I will be the first to admit that Anderson is a great bowler (although the comparions to Steyn and McGrath are laughable at best). It will be interesting to see how Finn and Onions go against the Windies. Finn is a crucial part of England's future and, although not as exciting as Pattinson or Cummins, he has impressed me, especially outside England, where I believe he is even better than Anderson.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 10:01 GMT

Finny should b g8 placement.........................

Samuel
on June 3, 2012, 10:00 GMT

What a misleading headline. Being injured is extremely different to being rested.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 9:18 GMT

ECB is rotating its Fast bowlers well...even the BCCI should do now in the same to keep the fast bowlers fresh and fit

John
on June 3, 2012, 9:17 GMT

By resting Jimmy, this tells me he'll be involved in the ODIs so no biggie here, he'll get his workload in ahead of the SA series. Glad Onions is back and in the wickets at country level. Shows that hard work do pay off. Would love to see him playing in the 3rd test with Finn.

Chithsabesh
on June 3, 2012, 9:08 GMT

Actually i would rest him for the worthless Odi series against Australia.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 8:58 GMT

The favouritism of Stuart Broad gets more and more blatant. Since he is the bowler most to break-downs in recent years, it would serve England right if he should become a long-term casualty because of playing in this match. Don't they dare play an attack of Bresnan, Finn and Onions (plus Swann) in case it might prove that Broad could be favourably replaced by any of those three? I feel sorry for the one who loses out because the "Powers that Be" have decided that Botham's record should be broken by Broad and no one else.

Tim
on June 3, 2012, 8:57 GMT

I'm sure Kieron Powell and Adrian Barath will be the two most pleased by this news.

No featured comments at the moment.

Tim
on June 3, 2012, 8:57 GMT

I'm sure Kieron Powell and Adrian Barath will be the two most pleased by this news.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 8:58 GMT

The favouritism of Stuart Broad gets more and more blatant. Since he is the bowler most to break-downs in recent years, it would serve England right if he should become a long-term casualty because of playing in this match. Don't they dare play an attack of Bresnan, Finn and Onions (plus Swann) in case it might prove that Broad could be favourably replaced by any of those three? I feel sorry for the one who loses out because the "Powers that Be" have decided that Botham's record should be broken by Broad and no one else.

Chithsabesh
on June 3, 2012, 9:08 GMT

Actually i would rest him for the worthless Odi series against Australia.

John
on June 3, 2012, 9:17 GMT

By resting Jimmy, this tells me he'll be involved in the ODIs so no biggie here, he'll get his workload in ahead of the SA series. Glad Onions is back and in the wickets at country level. Shows that hard work do pay off. Would love to see him playing in the 3rd test with Finn.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 9:18 GMT

ECB is rotating its Fast bowlers well...even the BCCI should do now in the same to keep the fast bowlers fresh and fit

Samuel
on June 3, 2012, 10:00 GMT

What a misleading headline. Being injured is extremely different to being rested.

Dummy4
on June 3, 2012, 10:01 GMT

Finny should b g8 placement.........................

Randolph
on June 3, 2012, 10:10 GMT

I will be the first to admit that Anderson is a great bowler (although the comparions to Steyn and McGrath are laughable at best). It will be interesting to see how Finn and Onions go against the Windies. Finn is a crucial part of England's future and, although not as exciting as Pattinson or Cummins, he has impressed me, especially outside England, where I believe he is even better than Anderson.

anthony
on June 3, 2012, 10:32 GMT

what is england's obsession with mediocre players like bairstow, bopara and morgan at the #6 position? meanwhile far better players like compton and taylor sit by and watch.

John
on June 3, 2012, 10:41 GMT

A lot has already been written about the possible resting of Anderson and Broad, with some in favour and some not. I think it's as much a question of getting Finn and Onions into the team for some exposure to Test cricket as anything else. If Anderson is out then, barring injury, you'd have to think that Finn is in for sure. I believe that it was George Dobell on the Switch Hit podcast who said that Finn was more of a like for like replacement for Anderson than Bresnan and it looks like that's the way it's going to go here. Especially if Anderson has a niggle, I definitely agree with resting him. Leaving Broad out too is another matter. I think that it's in England's best interest to give Onions some exposure, but do they want to leave out their two best bowlers? Assuming Broad needs to be rested at some point, during the ODI series might be a better option, with Anderson back in the team at the time.

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